Medical ultrasound systems are known which include a medical ultrasound handpiece having a medical ultrasound transducer assembly and which include an ultrasonically-vibratable medical-treatment instrument attached to the distal end portion of the transducer assembly of the handpiece. Examples of such instruments include an ultrasonically vibrating scalpel and include an ultrasonic clamp having a first clamp arm which is an ultrasonically vibrating blade and having a second non-vibrating clamp arm. In one known application, the scalpel/blade vibrates at a fundamental frequency (i.e., a resonant frequency of displacement along the longitudinal axis of the instrument).
Conventional medical ultrasound systems provide the instrument with a desirable high displacement (i.e., a large vibrational amplitude) by employing a relatively large size transducer assembly resulting in a relatively large size handpiece which is unsuitable for a surgeon to hold and use in precise and delicate surgery.
Still, scientists and engineers continue to seek improved medical ultrasound handpieces having a medical ultrasound transducer assembly and improved systems and methods related thereto.